Drug Thieves Sentenced to Federal Prison
Defendants Tried to Rob a Government Cooperator at Gunpoint

U.S. Attorney’s Office
July 25, 2013

Northern District of Georgia(404) 581-6000

ROME, GA—Ospicio Olea Aguilar has been sentenced for his role in conspiring to steal cocaine and marijuana from a man he thought was a drug dealer, but who in reality was working at the direction of law enforcement officers.

“These seven defendants played a risky game when they tried to rob a drug dealer at gunpoint,” United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said. “Thanks to the quick action of law enforcement, the armed robbery ended not in tragedy but in the arrests of all the men involved in this conspiracy.”

According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: In October 2011, Aguilar and co-defendants Tedrick Whiters and Sergio Jovanny Bibiano Vasquez approached a man in Marietta, Georgia, who they believed would be able to sell them cocaine. Unbeknownst to them, this man had previously cooperated with law enforcement, and he contacted officers to let them know what happened. He agreed to work at the direction of law enforcement.

Over the following weeks, the cooperator spoke and met with Aguilar, Vasquez, and Whiters to discuss the drug deal. Whiters attempted to have the drug deal take place in Atlanta, but the cooperator stated that his supplier was from Dalton, Georgia, and would only go as far south as Cartersville. Whiters, Aguilar, and Vasquez convinced the cooperator to go to Atlanta on one occasion to discuss the deal. The real purpose of the meeting was to rob him of the drugs in case he happened to have the drugs with him. Co-defendant Frederico Jerburshio Jones followed the cooperator and was prepared to rip off the cooperator at gunpoint if he had the drugs with him. Eventually, Whiters, Aguilar, and Vasquez asked the cooperator to provide five kilograms of cocaine and 150 pounds of marijuana for a total cost of $217,500. They agreed that the deal would take place on November 2, 2011, at the Cracker Barrel restaurant off I-75 exit 290 in Cartersville.

Around 11:00 a.m. on November 2, 2011, law enforcement set up surveillance in an area overlooking Cracker Barrel. As they set up surveillance, they noted that co-defendants Willie Charles Townsend, Corwin Jackson Finsley, and Maurice Jammorow Beavers were setting up counter-surveillance. These three men left their first meeting site and moved to different locations, some of them out of the line of sight of law enforcement.

Eventually, Vasquez called the cooperator and said that they were near exit 290. Vasquez showed up in a car driven by Finsley, with Jones in the front passenger seat. Jones got out of the car, confirmed that the cooperator had the drugs, and told him that they should move the deal next door to the Shell gas station, which, unlike Cracker Barrel, did not have surveillance cameras. The cooperator agreed and moved his vehicle to the Shell station.

When he got out of his car, Jones pulled a gun on him and ordered him to get into Jones’s car. The cooperator struggled with Jones and was able to wrestle the gun away. He threw the gun under a car and ran into the Shell station convenience store. Jones ran after him, but the cooperator held the doors to the store shut. The cooperator was wearing a wire while all of this was happening. Law enforcement knew that what was supposed to be a buy-bust operation was turning into a drug rip and attempted kidnapping. Agents moved in and arrested Jones as he attempted to flee, and also stopped the car that Finsley was driving. Law enforcement drew their firearms on Finsley as he attempted to reach under his seat, where officers later found a 9mm Kel-Tech pistol. Officers also stopped the car that Townsend and Beavers were in as they attempted to drive away. Because Whiters and Aguilar were in a different area overlooking the scene, they were able to drive away. But, they were arrested later that day in Atlanta.

Aguilar was the last of seven defendants to be sentenced for this crime. The defendants were charged with one count of conspiracy to attempt to commit a robbery and one count of possessing firearms in relation to the robbery. They were also charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. The defendants were sentenced as follows:

Aguilar, 28, of Atlanta, Georgia, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Aguilar was convicted of these charges on April 15, 2013 after he pleaded guilty.

Whiters, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced on July 23, 2013 to 17 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Whiters was convicted of these charges on April 15, 2013 after he pleaded guilty.

Vasquez, 24, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced on August 30, 2012 to 15 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Vasquez was convicted of these charges on June 7, 2012 after he pleaded guilty.

Jones, 41, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced on October 11, 2012 to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Jones was convicted of these charges on July 26, 2012 after he pleaded guilty.

Townsend, 35, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced on January 10, 2013 to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Townsend was convicted of these charges on October 18, 2012 after he pleaded guilty.

Finsley, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced on October 11, 2012 to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Finsley was convicted of these charges on July 26, 2012 after he pleaded guilty.

Beavers, 29, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced on July 23, 2012 to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Beavers was convicted of these charges on April 18, 2013 after he pleaded guilty.

This case was investigated by the FBI Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force with assistance from the United States Marshals Service.

Assistant United States Attorneys William G. Traynor and Paul R. Jones prosecuted the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following website: www.justthinktwice.com.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.